Ortiz on Carp: "He reminds me of myself when I first started"

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Mike Carp flourishing before his eyes looks familiar to David Ortiz.

Brian MacPherson Journal Sports Writer brianmacp

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Mike Carp flourishing before his eyes looks familiar to David Ortiz.

"He reminds me of myself when I first started," Ortiz said.

It was 10 years ago that Ortiz joined the Red Sox after playing parts of six underwhelming seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He was 27 years old. He wasn't a top prospect, but if he ever was going to deliver on the promise he'd shown to that point, it was about to happen. But he still couldn't seem to get regular playing time where he was. He did what he could with what he got -- he hit 20 home runs in more than 450 plate appearances in 2002 -- but still the Twins gave up on him and let him go.

It didn't take long before the previously anonymous Ortiz became Big Papi, one of the transformative figures in Red Sox history.

Carp played parts of four seasons with the Seattle Mariners, hitting 12 home runs the only time he got 300 plate appearances but otherwise finding himself buried at Triple-A Tacoma more often than not. A shoulder injury suffered in spring training of 2012 didn't help matters. Seattle gave up on him and let him go, trading him to the Red Sox despite receiving nothing in exchange

In just over 200 plate appearances with the Red Sox this season, Carp has hit .314 with a .374 on-base percentage and .564 slugging percentage. He's hit 16 doubles, two triples and nine home runs -- the latest a pinch-hit grand slam in the 10th inning Wednesday.

Unlike Ortiz down the stretch in 2003, Carp still isn't getting regular playing time with the Red Sox. He's the lefthanded complement to Jonny Gomes, seeing spot starts but usually coming off the bench to pinch-hit in key moments. It's not the easiest role in the game -- but he's thriving in it.

"It was a tough go early, just trying to figure out a balance between pinch-hitting," he said. "I get to watch a guy like Jonny Gomes do his business all the time. He's been amazing to watch. Just to see how he approaches the game coming in to pinch-hit, that's exactly what I want to do from the left side, and it's been working."

Said Boston manager John Farrell, "To see him flourish in the role he's in currently is a testament to not only him accepting the role but the way he stays prepared and ready to go when called upon."

For now, Carp is poised to go into the postseason as a weapon capable of hitting any righthanded specialist an opposing team might bring out of its bullpen.

And with Mike Napoli a free agent after this season, a bigger role might await after that.